Retaining device for caps



RETAINING DEVICE FOR CAPS Filed March 25, 1927 /5 a I Q I /I 1 7 A5, lNVENTOR 60/?0 5HNKE BY mwfm ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 4, 1930 stare-s PA OFFIQE GO-RID H. BEHNKEQZOF'ZELUSH'ING, YORK, ASS IGNOR, BY 'M'ESNE ASSIGNMENTS, "TO 'MOTQ 'METER *GAUGE 8:EQUTPME NT COBPORATIQN, OF LONG ISLAND CITY, NEVJ YORK, :A GORPORATION 'OF DELAWARE BETAINENG :DEV-IGE :FOR CABS Applicatie-n me i flareh 1927. Serial no. 1178,12 2.

This invention relates to retaining devices for radiator-caps of automobilesrand particularly for radiator caps equipped withinstruments such as motor heat indicating instruments now in general {use on. (motor vehicles. The general objectof this invention is to provide a new and improved retaining device which is simple and rugged in structure, economical to manufacture and easy to apply; and whichfwhen applied will render very cl'ificul't th'ertheft ofa'radi-ator cap or a capwith such an instrument appliedthereto.

Other objects and advantages willhereinafterapjpear.

In "the drawings forming a part of this specification: V s

Figure 1 is an elevation, partly ,in section, illustrating a preferred-form of the inventionapplied to a radiator cap and radiator;

Figure 2 is a side elevationpartly in .section, of {the structure shown :in Figure .1; and Figure -3 is a view in section "taken along theilinej dflligm'e 1- Referring to tl1e"drawing, .the vinvention is illustrated in connection withaheatindieatin'g instrument 10 of a welllmflwn formhav ing ,a threadedestem 11 adapted to project through a'hole in a radiator cap 12 which may be threaded internally toscrew on a threaded end of a neck 13 projecting from a radiator 14. The instrument 10 may be secured to the radiator cap 12 in a manner to be described hereinafter.

- therefor in the member 15, when the member 15 is substantially perpendicular to the link The construction of the member 15 with its straight upper edge and ends tapered at their lower sides tends to economy in manufacture, ease of insertion in the neck 15, and efiective locking.

As herein disclosed, the spring arm .18 is integrally connected at its upper end with the link 17 and separated therefrom along the rest of the length thereof by a slit 2l,,and is offset so as to engage theflmember ,15, at the face opposite that engaged by the 11111; 17. Above the upper end of the 'slit-2l the link 17 is connected as by a rivet 22, with the lower end of a chain 23 which may be composed of pairs of links connected by rivets, the links of alternate pairsbeing close together and the links of theotherpai-rs being spaced apart to receive therebetween at their ends the ends of the closely arranged links. i

Preferably the upper end of the link 17 is interposed betweenjtwo spaced apart links at the lower end of the chain 23 valld' wo closely arrangedlin'ks atthe; upper end of, the chain 23 pass freely through ano-pening in thel'ower end of a shell2t and through .a slot in a disc 25 to the upper side thereof where they are bent outwardly to engage the upper face of the disc and secure the chain thereto, the disc25 overlying portionseof-the lower end ofshell-2l at the sides of said opening, thus effecting a swivel connection betweenthe chain 23, and shell 24.

The shell 24 embraces at its upperend an internally threaded ring 26 adapted toscrew on thethr'eaded stem 11 of theinstrument 10 and to grip washers 27 and 28 between the upperenjdef the s'hel'land the top of the radiator cap. The -shell ;2t;and ring 26.n1ay belocked on t'he stem 11 by means of a set screw 29 p'referablyprovided with a wrench socket, hexagonaljfor example, and the removal o ffthe set screw may bemade, d-ifiicult by lling th se k t with ma rial whi is hard to {remove vFor example, ,alead ball maybe pl'afied over an end of a wrench socket and forced thereinto until. the ,socketis filled.

The retaining deviceis installed in thefoll wingmanne T -sp ng a x 8i sp u away from the anchor mem'belilfi sufiiciently to withdraw the lug 19 .from theopening 20 and the anchor member 15, is swungabout the r v 1am br ng th pa t the a th opening 20 opppsitethe end of the lug .19 as indicated in Fig. 1, the end of the "lug 19 V with relation to link 17 then resting against the member 15 and :acting frictionally to hold ,it in such position The member 15 is then inserted in and dropped down the radiator neck 13; the chain 23 being manipulated to bring the upper end of the member 15 into engagement with the upper part of the radiator around the opening at the lower end of the neck 13, and the chain is then pulled from above to swing the member 15 about the rivet or pivot 16 until the lug 19 snaps into the opening 20.

In some cases the member 15 may be operatively positioned in the top of the radiator before the shell 24: is threaded on the stem 11 and the stem 11 may then be screwed'into thering 26 and locked in position by the set screw 29. In other cases the shell and stem may be connected together first, and the member 15 dropped into the radiator neck and worked into effective position. In all of these cases the instrument 10 and radiator cap will be secured in a theft-proof manner to the radiator. It should be understood that the chain 23 is made of such length as to permit'the instrument 10, when the cap 12 is unscrewed, to tilt suiiiciently to permit the radiator to be filled without interference by the radiator cap. a

While I have illustrated and described in detail certain preferred forms of my invention, it is .to be understood that changes may bemade therein and the invention embodied in other structures. I do not, therefore, desire to limit myself to the specific constructions illustrated, but intend to cover my invention broadly in whatever form its principle may be utilized.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A retaining device for a radiator cap,

signature to this specification.

including a link flexibly but permanently connected with said cap, an anchor member pivoted substantially centrally on said link; and spring means integral with said link to lock said member substantially perpendicular to said link upon movement to such position but maintained retracted, and inefiective when said member and said link are out of such perpendicular relation.

2. A device for securing a cap to an automobile radiator, including a bar to be trapped in the radiator, and a link pivoted to said baradjacent the middle thereof'and having an offset resilient arm formed to snap into an opening in the bar when the latter is in effective position with respect to said link and to be held in retracted position by said bar when otherwise positioned.

3. A device for securing a cap to an auto-- mobile radiator, including a bar to be trapped in the radiator, andhaving a latch seat, a sheet metal member pivoted at one end to said bar intermediate the ends thereof and having a spring arm integral therewith at one end and formed with a latch member to snap into said seat when said bar is in effective position with respect to said member and to be maintained in retracted position by engagement with said bar when the bar and member are in other angularre'lations.

4. A device for securing a cap to an automobile radiator, including a bar to be trapped in the radiator'and having a latch opening, and a sheet metal member pivoted to said bar near themiddle thereof and having at one sideedge a spring arm connected therewith at its upper end and offset from the plane of said sheet metalmember to permit said bar to pass therebetween, said arm being a spring device efiective to lock said bar and said link in perpendicular relation but held in'retracted condition when said bar and said link are out of such perpendicular. relation.

6. A retaining device for use with a radiator cap equipped with an instrument havinga stem projecting through a hole in said cap, including a link flexibly bu-t permanently connected with said stem, a bar to be trapped in the radiator and pivoted substantialy at its middle to said link, and spring means to lock said barperpendicular to said link and to hold it frictionally in any other angular position,- 7

In testimony whereof I have alfixed my oonn HLBEHNKE; 

